ｺ｣ｽﾇﾖｱｲ･ Ridge bestows its annual alumni award on Cynthia Schneider, Class of 2017 窶｣ｺ｣ｽﾇﾖｱｲ･

ｺ｣ｽﾇﾖｱｲ･ Ridge bestows its annual alumni award on Cynthia Schneider, Class of 2017

For Immediate Release:
April 1, 2026

Primary Media Contact:
Sally Voth
Public Relations Specialist
[email protected]
Phone: 540-868-7134

President Kim Blosser stands with alumni award winner Cynthia Schneider — ｺ｣ｽﾇﾖｱｲ･ Ridge bestows its annual alumni award on Cynthia Schneider, Class of 2017.

There窶冱 no 窶彳xpiration date窶� when it comes to continuing your education, 2017 ｺ｣ｽﾇﾖｱｲ･ Ridge graduate Cynthia Schneider said Friday during the ｺ｣ｽﾇﾖｱｲ･ Educational Foundation Appreciation Luncheon. She was presented with the 2026 Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award during the annual event which brings together scholarship recipients and donors.

Schneider was 57 and feeling unmoored when she enrolled in the college in 2014. It was a decision that changed the course of her life.

窶弋welve years ago, I was at one of the lowest points of my life,窶� said Schneider, recalling how the last of her four children had flown the nest, shaking her identity as a mother while at the same time her 25-year career with a small specialty food company 窶� where she had risen from a part-time data entry clerk to director of operations 窶� came to an end. 窶廬t shook my confidence to the core. I didn窶冲 know what else I had to give. I wasn窶冲 confident in my skillset.窶�

Many years before, she had taken a year of classes at James Madison University before transferring to a new biblical college in Kansas, which, unfortunately, wasn窶冲 accredited, and Schneider was apprehensive about embarking on a job search without a credential. She realized the best thing to do would be to enroll at ｺ｣ｽﾇﾖｱｲ･ Ridge, using grant funding.

窶廬t was time for a new chapter, and that chapter began at ｺ｣ｽﾇﾖｱｲ･ Ridge,窶� Schneider said.

At the college, she found an environment that was both nurturing and academically rigorous.

窶廴y classes challenged me and affirmed the abilities I had,窶� Schneider said. 窶惻｣ｽﾇﾖｱｲ･ Ridge showed me that learning doesn窶冲 have an expiration date, and that it窶冱 never too late to begin again. ｺ｣ｽﾇﾖｱｲ･ Ridge helped me rediscover what was possible for my future.窶�

Even before graduating with her associate degree in 2017 窶� she also earned a career studies certificate in business 窶� Schneider was hired to be the director of finance and administration at the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber. She has been the CEO of the chamber since 2019.

In 2024, the Virginia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives named Schneider the Chamber Executive of the Year, and in 2025, she earned the Certified Chamber Executive designation, a credential only 3 percent of her peers nationwide have earned. She is active with Civitan International, Shenandoah University School of Business窶冱 advisory board and the Gold Medallion Foundation/School of Esther.

In addition to her degree and certificate from ｺ｣ｽﾇﾖｱｲ･ Ridge, Schneider has taken part in ｺ｣ｽﾇﾖｱｲ･ Ridge Workforce Solutions courses. Additionally, two of her children have also received an education at ｺ｣ｽﾇﾖｱｲ･ Ridge.

Founded in 1970, ｺ｣ｽﾇﾖｱｲ･ is a multi-campus public institution of higher education. With three locations 窶� Middletown, Warrenton, and Luray-Page County 窶� the College serves eight localities in the Shenandoah Valley and northern Piedmont regions. The localities are the counties of Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Page, Rappahannock, Shenandoah and Warren and the city of Winchester. ｺ｣ｽﾇﾖｱｲ･ Ridge offers more than 75 associate degree and certificate programs in a wide variety of disciplines. ｺ｣ｽﾇﾖｱｲ･ Ridge also serves the business community by offering workforce preparation programs for employees and employers. ｺ｣ｽﾇﾖｱｲ･ Ridge serves more than 9,000 unduplicated credit students and more than 11,000 individuals in professional development and business and industry courses annually.

ｺ｣ｽﾇﾖｱｲ･ is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees. ｺ｣ｽﾇﾖｱｲ･ also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of ｺ｣ｽﾇﾖｱｲ･ may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC窶冱 website ().

ｺ｣ｽﾇﾖｱｲ･ is an equal opportunity institution providing educational and employment opportunities, programs, services, and activities. ｺ｣ｽﾇﾖｱｲ･ Ridge shall promote and maintain equal employment and educational opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, marital status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions including lactation, age (except when age is a bona fide occupational qualification), status as a veteran, national origin, or other non-merit factors. ｺ｣ｽﾇﾖｱｲ･ Ridge also prohibits sexual misconduct including sexual violence or harassment. Inquiries may be directed to the Associate Vice President, Human Resources,ﾌ�[email protected],ﾌ�173 Skirmisher Lane, Middletown, VA 22645, 540-868-7226.

ｺ｣ｽﾇﾖｱｲ･ was known as Lord Fairfax Community College until June 2022. For consistency purposes, the college will be referenced as ｺ｣ｽﾇﾖｱｲ･ Ridge going forward.

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